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Question: If the ancient Greeks knew the Earth is round why did Europe think it was flat till Columbus!?
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~Actually, if you do a little reading, you will find that most all educated people in western civilization from the third century bce forward, including the Church, accepted the fact of a spherical earth!. During the Classical Period, there was disagreement amongst scholars as to whether the earth was flat or round but advances in science and math and in observation techniques pretty much resolved the issue in favor of the sphere!. Thereafter, very few held to a belief in a flat earth!. The myth that people in the Middle Ages believed the earth to be flat has been debunked for more than a century, and in fact the myth was most likely created in the 18th century!. Sadly, our uniformed teachers still preach the myth!. Most probably don't know any better!.

By the way, Galileo wasn't tried for teaching a heliocentric theory of the solar system, either!. He was expressly granted permission by the Vatican to speak of to topic hypothetically as long as he did not denounce Church doctrine!. He was tried and convicted for disobeying the Church injunction and for mocking the Pope and the church in his writings, and for claiming his ideas to be 'right'!. As it turns out, Galileo was wrong in many of his postulations!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

All ancient Greeks didn't know the Earth was flat, some were still fighting about this!. I believe one who believed the Earth was flat, was Aristotle!.
Aristotle's ideas were adopted by the Church because they co-existed with Church doctrine!. As such, most Europeans would think the Earth was flat, as the Church constantly brainwashed them!.
Just as a matter of interest, how did Columbus getting to the Americas prove the Earth was flat!? Wouldn't it be Magellan's voyage around the globe that proved the Earth was round!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Sorry, but it is a complete myth that people thought the world was flat until Columbus!. The story was invented by Washington Irving in the 19th century!.
In fact, all educated people knew the world was round!. If you read Dante, you will find that his poem envisages a round earth!.
The reason the people opposed Columbus was because they believed that Asia was much farther to the West than he said!. They were right, of course, but what neither side knew was that America was in the way!.
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The fanaticism of the catholic religion and its power, even over kings, rejected anything that excluded the bible as the only book of reference and truth!. Most ancient books, papyrus, scrolls and such, were owned by the monasteries libraries only, the public had no access to them, hence the name the DARK AGESWww@QuestionHome@Com

Because the Bible says the earth is flat!.

The Christians figured all pagan knowledge was evil, and went nuts supressing and dissing all the learning from ancient Greece and Rome, enfocring the legends of their fairy tales by force!.

The church single-handedly reduced europe to the dark ages!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

with the fall of the roman empire most of their knowledge went lost!.
the church indoctrinated the people to believe the crazy stuff they had come up with using their own imagination on the bible!.
It wasn't until the fall of constantinople that many of the roman scientists returned to europe and reintroduced scientific research!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

europe under heavy influence by the pope believed the world was flat and the sun and planets revolved around the earth!.to believe otherwise was hearacyWww@QuestionHome@Com

I have news for you - Greece is actually in Europe!.
Does that change the texture of your question!?Www@QuestionHome@Com